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What is the logic of Creon's argument not to bury Polyneices' body in Sophocles's Antigone? What assumption is it based on?

In Sophocles' play Antigone, Creon thinks that those who do wrongful deeds do not deserve the honor of burial, and he considers this to be a logical cause-effect argument.

In Creon's eyes, Polyneices wrongfully returned from exile to attack his city and to attempt to overthrow the rule of his brother Eteocles:



... Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his fathers' gods, whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his own people into slavery--Polyneices, I say is to have no burial. (I.165-170)



In contrast, since Creon sees Eteocles as having bravely defended the city from Polyneices and his army, Eteocles deserves a proper burial and the honors of a hero.

However, Creon's view of the situation is ironically incorrect. When King Oedipus, father of Eteocles and Polyneices, was banished, he left the twin brothers to rule over Thebes jointly. Their plan was to alternate who held the throne each year. The kingship rightfully belonged to Polyneices as the eldest twin brother, but Polyneices allowed Eteocles to rule for the first year. When Polyneices returned to claim his own year of rulership, Eteocles banished his older brother, keeping the throne for himself. Polyneices then returned to Thebes with an army to try to take back what was his by birthright and free his city from the tyranny of Eteocles, but both brothers killed each other in battle (Oakes, M., "Pride and Power," The University of Vermont).

Hence, Creon has very ironically paid Eteocles honors when Eteocles is the one who is truly responsible for the war, showing us that Creon's judgements and logic are very faulty. Not only is his thinking faulty and illogical, his thinking violates a law decreed by the gods, demanding proper burial of all.

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